Contact: Sr. Julie Ann Sheahan, OSF, Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, 920-682-7728

GREEN BAY, July 5, 2011 /Standard Newswire/ -- The acclaimed singer-songwriter reflected that "Lay it Down" "is a song about finding humanity in each other and taking on and sharing someone else's burden. My husband runs a non-profit and we have been traveling to Mexico for the past ten years working with needy children and families. This spring I met a woman named Socorro, and her three children while working in the jungle of Southern Mexico.... I witnessed the best of humanity, and Socorro, being the best mother she can be to her children inspired me to write the song."

During volunteer travel to an orphanage in Oaxaca, Mexico, she met fellow volunteer, Bryan Nurnberger. Soon after, Bryan founded Simply Smiles, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing bright futures for impoverished children. The couple has been working together combining arts and philanthropy ever since.

With a voice that commands attention, substantial lyrics, and clear melodic sense, Kristen Graves writes at a level that compares to Sarah McLachlan or Tracy Chapman with a pop edge. Kristen has been writing and performing her own songs since 2000, and touring since 2002. She has written and recorded four albums, and has independently sold thousands of copies of her CDs, most recently releasing her new 3-song EP entitled, "Lay it Down."

Established in 1869, the Roman Catholic Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity serve in Catholic Health Care, Education and Parish-Community Service throughout the United States. From their Motherhouse convent in Wisconsin, mission locations extend across the United States. From St. Theresa in Kekaha, Hawaii, the westernmost parish in the U.S., to the dioceses of Columbus and Steubenville in Ohio, from the Mission of San Xavier Du Bac in Tucson, to parochial schools in the Green Bay and Phoenix Dioceses.

www.fscc-calledtobe.org

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